Poll

OP/ED: One Mom's job action in support of teachers

Christine
By Christine
May 17th, 2012

All of the recent job action talk lately has me really feeling terrible for our teachers. I don’t know a whole lot about the politics of it all but I do know that teaching is HARD! I cannot imagine what it must be like to have to sit in a room with 30-plus children all day and not go absolutely insane.

And while not going insane, they actually teach them stuff.

I can’t even teach my children the simplest of tasks without losing my mind. I have come to realize, lately, that teaching brings out my inner Nazi.

Seriously.

There is, somewhere deep inside me (or maybe not so deep), a militant hag. This Nazi witch seems to come out in moments when I am trying to teach my children how to ride a bike, tie their shoes, or something of the like.

I start out all nurturing and encouraging.

That lasts about two minutes.

Then … she emerges.

I start getting really frustrated and nagging them:

“No! You’re doing it wrong!”; “For five cents, put some effort in!”; “It’s not that hard!”; You’re not even trying!”; “Geez Louise!”

This escalates until I am yelling.

All the while, I’m thinking, Geez Christine, give the kid a break, he’s only four!

I try to control my anger and frustration, I really do.

I try to balance it out with encouragement. But encouraging phrases coming through clenched teeth really aren’t that encouraging. The worst part is, I know I that am being unreasonable. If I ever saw a mother yelling, “Pump your legs! Yes, you’re doing it!  NO!!!! I said PUMP, not flail around like a fruitcake!  Okay, good! That’s better! What the? Geez Louise! How hard can it be?!”, I would think she was the worst mother in the world! Not to mention a little psychotic.

(I think this is a good time to confess that I was well over seven when I finally learned to ride a bike.)

The thing is, I am a good mom.

I love my children. I am fiercely protective of them. I would take a bullet for them.

I just also have a Nazi living within.

Where this cruel lady came from, I do not know. All I know is that I have the utmost respect for our teachers. They are truly amazing.

In support of all teachers and, more importantly, for the sake of my children’s mental health, I am going to be taking up my own little job action here at home.

I vow avoid teaching my children anything … and perhaps to pursue a little bit of therapy.

I will bake cookies, I will read to them, I will cheer them on and buy them things and drive them places, I will love them … but I will NOT teach them.

To my kids, please don’t ever ask me to teach you anything. If you do ask, and I say “no”, please know that I am not acting out of indifference, I am just trying to protect you … from me.

I think it’s best I leave the whole ‘teaching’ thing to the experts.

Categories: Arts and CultureOp/Ed

Comments

-5°C Overcast Clouds

Other News Stories

Opinion